A dedicated and loyal staff isn’t enough to boost occupancy.
Revenue can plummet with a disengaged sales team. In a span of two months, you can lose 12 residents while only moving 6 in. So it would seem that motivated sales directors automatically solve revenue problems. But that’s not the case.
It doesn’t matter how enthusiastic your sales department is. Unless your team is properly trained, you can still suffer from revenue gaps and subpar occupancy.
According to Sales Force, ineffective and effective sales teams were separated by how much they invested in training. According to this data, successful sales teams were 2.6 times more likely to spend over $1,000 in sales training.
Sales training puts a backbone to your team’s enthusiasm. It’s what separates a good staff from an extraordinary staff that maximizes every opportunity to connect with prospects.
Case Study: United Methodist Homes
When Bild & Company began transforming United Methodist Homes (UMH), we saw firsthand a case of a great team without great training . A mid-sized operator, UMH provides senior care in New Jersey.
Bild & Company wasn’t rescuing an operation with a disengaged team: UMH had a committed staff.
Even though the staff was engaged, they still lacked sales training; there was no sales culture, and money was being left on the table. This deficit showed in UMH’s occupancy. It was a mediocre 92.5%.
Once Bild & Company provided the much-needed sales training to support UMH’s solid leadership, occupancy shot up to 95.8% in six months, and UMH reclaimed over $750,000 in lost revenue.
With our sales training, UMH received the support it needed to generate strong revenue during an economically difficult time.
Does Your Team Need Training?
As a small- to mid-sized operator, you’re closely involved in the daily operations of your staff. It may be difficult to step back and see the big picture view.
You may not realize the revenue you are leaving on the table because your staff doesn’t know how to drive move-ins.
It’s important to diagnose how well you leverage your sales team to generate revenue. Carefully consider these questions:
- Do you have effective sales systems in place? If not, then your team may lose leads through haphazard community outreach and follow-ups. At Bild & Company, we have five solid sales systems for the sales teams we educate. (Check out this article on the 4 sales systems your community needs.)
- Is your community primarily driven by operations? Yes, it is important to have quality care. But if that’s your only focus, you’re not leveraging the potential of your sales team to drive revenue. You must have a collaborative sales and operations focus with heavy clinical support.
- Do you have a sales culture? Carefully consider if your sales team is rallied around the common goal of increasing occupancy and revenue while driving the customer experience.
- Does your team understand how to listen to the needs of your prospects and incorporate those needs into on-site tours, follow-up phone calls, and electronic communication? If not, they are missing out on an important way to foster an emotional connection that builds trust (which leads to better occupancy).
Bolster your sales team’s morale with proven techniques, and enroll in Bild & Company’s sales training or coaching.
Our trainers specialize in selling senior care communities. They’ll show your team how to meet the needs of prospects in a way that increases occupancy and revenue.
Just send me an email at tbild@bildandco.com or text 813-390-3349 with your name and number, and I’ll help you find the training solution for your team.
